In many cases, elderly persons or persons with infirmities are unable to bathe themselves in a domestic environment because they cannot readily get into or out of conventional fixed bathtubs. In such cases these persons must rely upon assistance for bathing activities and frequently must wait until assistance is available for bathing or bathe at the convenience of others. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a bath system which will enable a user of even limited mobility to enter and exit a bathtub easily and safely and accomplish bathing activities.
It is well known that the bath area of homes and institutions is one of the more dangerous areas of the building. Many objects in the bath are composed of porcelain or other hard materials to insure efficiency of cleaning and to withstand the detrimental effects of water, detergents, etc. Many persons are injured due to falls in bathrooms such as by slipping in bathtubs and on hard surfaced floors in the presence of water and cleaning products which render them slick. Especially under conditions where persons have infirmities that render them when walking, the hard, slick surfaces of bathrooms can be extremely dangerous. Since many falls and injuries occur while persons are in or about bathtubs it is desirable to provide a bath system capable of use by persons with infirmities which permits efficient and safe use by such persons.